Norman Blackburn (aviation pioneer)

Norman William George Blackburn
Born	25 May 1895(1895-05-25) Leeds, Yorkshire, England
Died	0 January 1966(1966-01-00) (aged 69) Bridlington, Yorkshire, England
Nationality	United Kingdom
Other names	Blackie
Occupation	Director Blackburn Aircraft
Known for	aviation pioneer, businessman

Captain Norman W G Blackburn (May 25, 1896 - January 1966), was a World War I pilot, director of Blackburn Aircraft, and pilot instructor.

World War I

He saw action as a pilot in the First World War in the RNAS, qualifying on 5 June 1915 as Flight Sub-Lieutenant at the Grahame-White Flying School at Hendon. He served at the front, flying, among other aircraft, the Kangaroo bomber. At the end of the war, he was stationed with the newly formed RAF at Fern Hill, as Acting Major commanding 132 Squadron.^[1]

Blackburn Aircraft

Norman was the son of George Blackburn, and brother of Robert Blackburn, founder of Blackburn Aircraft. After World War I, he returned to Leeds to join his brothers Robert and Charles in building, and in Norman's case flying, aeroplanes. He was an early member of the RAF Club. Norman managed the RAF Reserve training school at Brough Aerodrome from January 1924 to 1940,^[1] where many RAF pilots and foreign airmen were trained - over 10,000 pilots all told.^[2] Among the celebrities who learned to fly there was The Hon Mrs Victor Bruce, who then flew around the world in her Blackburn Bluebird, only eight weeks after completing her training.^[3]

Norman served as a director of Blackburn Aircraft from 1920 to 1958, and Joint Managing Director from 1949.^[1]

World War II

In 1940, Robert Blackburn asked Norman to take charge of Fairey Swordfish production at the Sherburn-in-Elmet factory near Leeds, and having returned to Brough in 1943, he was in full charge of all Blackburn factories in Yorkshire from 1944. He lived his latter years in Bridlington in the East Riding of Yorkshire, where he was an enthusiastic and supportive member of the Royal Yorkshire Yacht Club.^[1]

Notes

1. ^ ^{a b c d} Jackson (1989)
2. ^ Interview with Norman Blackburn, The Courier, Blackburn and General Aircraft, Vol. 2, No. 2, March (1949)
3. ^ Bruce (1977)

Bibliography

• Jackson, A.J. 1989. Blackburn Aircraft since 1909. Putnam ISBN 0870210246
• The Hon Mrs Victor A Bruce. 1977. Nine Lives Plus - Record Breaking on Land, Sea and in the Air: an autobiographical account. Pelham Books ISBN 0720709741

Persondata
Name	Blackburn, Norman
Alternative names
Short description
Date of birth	May 25, 1896
Place of birth	Leeds, Yorkshire, England
Date of death	1966-01-0
Place of death	Bridlington, Yorkshire, England